Midnight Music: Usher – Yeah (Pat Lok Rework) [Future House]

Usher - Yeah (Pat Lok ReworkTwo min 30 sec in really speaks for itself. This kind of deep push and potent vibe that Pat Lok is making sure happens, really can’t be replaced, and I think that needs to be noted. This remix is amazing, in ways that neither Usher or anyone associated with the original could have predicted. This reworking has the elements that you need in a 2015 mix, that you don’t know you need until they’re not here. Pat Lok puts all the correct pieces into the puzzle the right way. The vocals are brought back in exactly the way they need to while the breakdown at three minutes in can still remain the dope break it is. (via FreshNewTracks)

Mix Of The Weekend: Karmakanik – Live @ Sequence [Tech/Electro/Prog House]

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. DJ Karmakanik is one of the first DJs who ever really just exploded my face. I’m talking like, that kind of night that takes you on a journey that you’re not the same afterwards. One of the mystical forces behind the fabled PSI events in the Pine Barrens forests, this guy knows exactly what he’s doing. I know times have changed because he is in my mind, a psytrance DJ of legendary proportions, and I just spent the last hour grooving to a dope selection of electro, progressive & tech house. The track selection is impressive & I am definitely hoping this kind of musical output becomes a regular thing. And he wants to drop some 6 am psytrance as well, I certainly won’t complain. Picture is from BM 2006, you know it’s a good party when Jesus spins psy-trance. Tracklist below the tunes because he’s a gentleman like that, and it’s a Free Download to boot. He literally couldn’t give you anymore, so show him some love.

dataworx – flight 1605 (manuel de le mare intro rmx)
mason – exceeder (umek and mike vale rmx)
andrea bertolini and motel connection – allegro
weekend heroes – killer bitch dj dealer
alter breed – panther
ido ophir and miki litvak – shnorkel (dousk rmx)
piatto and luigi rocca – higher feeling
umek – cvile mi jaja
phunk investigation – u know
shiloh – cafe del mariachi
perfect stranger and captain hook – perfect hook (riktam and bansi rmx)
easy riders – easy dubsteps (captain hook rmx)
sideform – personal jesus (rmx)

Mix Of The Weekend: Sunshine Forecast #10 Music For The Streets

Tommie Sunshine - Sunshine Forecast #10In case you’ve been on the moon, there’s been some shit going down in my city the last week. People made the decision to not indict a cop for chokeholding an asthmatic, obese black father of six to death. This has resulted in demonstrations, protests & non-violent civil actions all over the city. Tommie Sunshine has been a consistent source of news from the streets, because, he’s actually out there protesting with his fans. His 10th edition of his podcast is heavier than normal, mirroring the mood of the streets. Pushing the heaviest of releases out is a strong statement, one that’s hard to execute. He does so, in an almost menacingly competent way. There’s a strong reminder that not all the performers out there forgot that dance music used to be counter-culture, and a place for those pursued by the various authorities. They end with a mini-mix of tracks off their Brooklyn Fire label, another facet of the city he supports. Consistency is important y’all. After this rocks your face & causes gratuitous fist pumping and possible shame, Mr. Sunshine also released a chill Elvis remix with Wuki this week. When he told me he was going to be busy, he wasn’t kidding.

Midnight Music: Blackstreet – No Diggity (Figgy Remix) [Fidget/House]

Blackstreet - No Diggity (Figgy Remix)Tonight, I’m utterly thrilled to bring you a No Diggity remix. Anyone who had ears in the 90’s remembers Blackstreet. 2:19 is one of the most delightful teases I’ve heard in months. This remix, picked up by EDMTunes, is a huge one, that not only throws back Blackstreet in a deep & respectful way, but it also does what music has stopped doing. It teases the listener. The simple extension & manipulation of the break is something you have to fight to hear in NYC these days. Absolutely wonderful remix, that harkens back to the late 90’s both in hip hop & house at the same time. Expect to hear this in some of the deeper, smoother & sexier house/tech house parties here in the city. At least, if DJs know what they’re sitting on here. This NYC local producer has done some great work here, so show some love.

Midnight Music: Bondax ft. Ayah Marar – Dust Funk [Funky House]

This is a match made in UK heaven. Bondax got my girl Ayah Marar to lead this new, sophisticated, funky sexy house track they’ve got out on their new Mix Album. While Ayah usually gets into some ravier, drum & bassier sounds, she’s still a Triple A vocalist that makes the back end Bondax comes through with wurk. For real girl, this is one of those “walk confidently in potent heels” kind of tracks that you associate with good looking people working/drinking/living in high rise buildings that have fancy floor to ceiling windows. It doesn’t get too crazy and the vocals stay where they need to stay, while an almost whipping around you like wind downtown. Dust Funk is a cool song that I hope to hear at cool parties. (via Fresh New Tracks)

Mix Of The Week: Le-Saint-T – Mixtape Afterwork Electro Posé x Le Saint T x TEEMID

Mixtape Afterwork Electro Posé x Le Saint T x TEEMIDIn the first 30 seconds, I knew this mix was special. This hour of sexy, deep house from Le-Saint-T the Electro Pose in France shows why you really can’t fuck with the French when it comes this kind of vibe. This mix is quality start to finish, and this Le-Saint-T is now officially on my radar. The mix keeps the pregaming energies up, and would provide a hot & alluring soundtrack to a hotel room micro party in case you’re into that sort of thing. The vibe coming from Timberlake, Thicke & Barkley remixes melds with a dash or two of tropical, a heavy dollop of deep & a whole lot of positivity. TEEMID is featured and does some fantastic work here. This is such a fantastic mix and the tracklist is below, in case you want to do what I did and go listen to each one of these separately after.

Crazy (TEEMID Intro) – Gnarls Barkley
Alicia – Darius
Rock your body (Notize Edition) – Justin Timberlake
Groovejet (Andrey Exx & Fomichev Remix) – Lissat & Voltaxx vs Marc Fisher
What – Fabich & Ferdinand Weber
Perlenklang (Original Mix) – Sonnentänzer feat. Novocaine
Boy Boy Boy – Andhim
Little Bird (Original Mix) – Lexer
Alive (Gold Fields Remix) – Empire of the Sun
The Fear (Matt Elation Cut) – Marcapasos
Jolene (GAMPER & DADONI Remix) – Dolly Parton
Only Girl In The World (TEEMID & Makeda Purple Cover) – Rihanna
Sonoro (Original Mix) – Paji
Blurred Lines (Bee’s Knees Remix) – Robin Thicke Feat. T.I. & Pharrell Williams
TEEMID – ID

Broke On Holiday: Turkey Football Hate Family Weekend!

That’s right, the holidays are upon us again, and hundreds of thousands of people will be coming home for the weekend. To spend time with family, get uncomfortably close to barfing up that 3rd helping of mashed potatoes and then hate the people they’re surrounded by so much, they need to get to a freaking party as quickly as possible. To that end, I’ve rounded up some of the fairer bargains that ensure you have a good night instead of  playing the “argue with Uncle about immigration” game with your cousins.

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Midnight Music: Sakima – Energy (Courage Remix) [Deep UK Funky House]

This one caught me by surprise. 3min in, ethereal power ballad build, with notes of Disclosure & funky garage-styled vibes. The break keeps you on your toes and should be in the armamentarium (totally a real word!) of any Brooklyn DJ who is spinning irregular house these days. It’s Monday at midnight, the hardest part of the week is over. Just think about all those Halloween parties bearing down on you. (via Fresh New Tracks)

Midnight Music: Flexstyle Drops 2 RaveCon Mixes Which Need To Be Heard!

Flexstyle, a little known OCRemix DJ/contributor, was let loose at Saboten Con a little bit ago, and we’re all better for it. Opening the live party mix with a PrototypeRaptor electrohouse banger, this guy immediately declared he was not fucking around. Mixing into a remix of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE level music ever, really could not win more points in my book. The Ben Briggs remix does the Flying Battery Zone (Sonic & Knuckles was a damn triumph) justice and then, there’s Bloody Beetroots! I don’t know where this kid came from, but this is the first time I’ve been convinced I wanted to go to a con in years. If the tunes sounded like this? I’d be 100% down. A particularly wonderful Green Day remix helps transition the mix into original music (but not without dropping a sweet Chemical Zone Remix, with a taunting DDR sample if I’m not mistaken) half of the mix. This is another area where Flexstyle shines. The tunes are expertly produced and pushed together. I can’t wait to hear when he starts integrating his trance & bass tracks into his live mix.

Bonus set! They let him back on the decks, which is a decision I couldn’t support more. I’m not sure how to describe this. This is Nerd Rave music. This is what I wished every chiptune show was ever. Frankly, I’d just listen to 4 hours of electro, deep house, trance & glitch remixes of video game music. If you want to play synthed out West Coast bootlegs of Sonic 3 music, I really would pay you money to do that. Is that possible? This mix even brings in electro swing, which is wonderful. I think this kind of stuff can bring a lot of introverts out of their shell. It’s easy to hear something you recognize and it’s complicated enough that it’s not doofy big room anthem shit. If Big Room is the frat in the EDM scene, this is the Anime club. And man, they look like they’re having a lot of fun.